A FASHION GUIDE FOR MEN ON PAIRING (AND WEARING) COLORS

Recently, I’ve noticed a lot of my clients stating they have issues with color - how to wear it, how to pair it, what looks good on them, etc.

I’ve also noticed a lot of mental blocks guys have surrounding color. For the past few weeks, I’ve heard so many random “rules” regarding color that they’ve heard from someone, somewhere, sometime so far back they can’t remember, and it's causing them to freeze up when trying to pair stuff together.

These “rules” generally have no actual basis. All is explaining a little color theory to show them why a rule does or doesn’t make sense.

I tell my clients this all the time: if you cannot back up the rule with a “why”, there’s no reason to follow it. If you understand a bit about color theory, you don’t have to try to memorize what goes with what.

Color Analysis is something I go into deep with my clients during the Virtual Style Consultation program - The process of showing you what colors look good on you and why.

But today, I want to rapid-fire some thoughts on color that might help you buy clothing and put together great outfits. Let’s dive into this week's lesson...

1. Monochromatic & Same Color Pairing In Men’s Outfits

You can absolutely wear the same colors in your outfits either next to each other or on the top and bottom. Do you know what pairs best with a color? Itself.

But, it’s best to change the “value” of the color, meaning that the top or the bottom should be either lighter or darker than the other item to provide a bit of contrast. However, this is not necessary.

2. Visual Lift To Add Height To An Outfit

With that being said, a lot of times, clients tell me they want to look taller. When that is of interest, I usually try to position darker colors on the bottom of their outfit and lighter colors towards the top.

This is a technique that I took while speaking with a car designer. He told me they will regularly put black panels on the bottom of their SUVs and trucks to make the vehicle appear as if it is riding higher than it is, as the black makes it appear as if there is space between the ground and the vehicle (among other reasons). You can do the same with your outfits. If this is of interest, you should check out the How to Look Taller and Leaner video training I offer - it’s free.

3. Using Grayscale/Neutrals Vs. Color In Men’s Styling

Black, white, and gray are not technically colors - they are on the grayscale and are considered neutral or achromatic “colors”, meaning literally that they are "without color".

You will commonly see these colors in men’s clothing. You should use these to your advantage. Because they are not technically colors, they pair well together, but also with other colors on the color wheel (hues) - such as the primary colors - Red, Yellow, and Blue, as well as secondary colors - Orange, Green, Violet. Think about a white poplin cotton dress shirt - you could pair endless amounts of tie colors with that shirt.

An easy way to comprise an outfit is to wear one “neutral” with one “color”. An example of this would be a classic pairing of a white tee and blue jeans - one color, one neutral. You can easily apply this to all of your outfits.

4. Warmer Vs. Cooler Colors In Menswear

Most people will look better in either warmer colors or cooler colors. If you split a color wheel in two, you will see colors that the human eye perceives as warmer (Red, Yellow, Orange) and ones that the eye perceives as cooler (Blue, Green, Purple). There are many different ways of figuring out which set of colors looks best on you, which is part of the color analysis process.

Although not conclusively by any means, there’s an easy test to get you started - Look at the inside of your wrist and see if you can tell if your veins look more blue or if they look more green. If they look blue, you’ll likely look better in cooler colors. If they look green, you’ll likely look better in warmer colors. Again, not at all conclusive, but it can help give you a clue.

5. Test & Trust Your Sense Of Style

Lastly, experiment and trust your gut. If you’re not sure if two colors look good together, test it out; It’s the easiest way to see if something works. We have a very good eye and naturally see things that look good and things that don’t. Think about looking at a person with an attractive face - you aren’t breaking down their facial symmetry to determine why they look attractive, your brain just instantly tells you so.

Color is much the same. Stop defaulting to random nonsensical color rules and start experimenting. You’ll find that more often than not, you can trust your gut (and that most people who give you hard rules on what goes with what have no clue what they’re talking about).

Much love,

Patrick